


His "Other" Old Girl

by Vanessa_Cocotea



Category: Doctor Who (TV Movie), Doctor Who: Virgin New Adventures - Various Authors
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Humor, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-17 22:23:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanessa_Cocotea/pseuds/Vanessa_Cocotea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From 2009. </p><p>Grace discovers she has some competition for the Doctor's affections - and she doesn't mind one little bit...</p>
            </blockquote>





	His "Other" Old Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Eight and Bessie are one of my favourite "OTP"s. I wish the illustrations from The Dying Days had included one of Eight driving Bessie. *sigh* I've done a few sketches of the two myself and have one in the works now. I just think Eight, Bessie - in her "Robot" incarnation, my favourite - and the TVM TARDIS are a "Threesome Made in Heaven". And since Grace is a favourite as well... :)

Grace stood in the doorway to the empty console room. "So, where's he gone this time?" She asked the TARDIS. She couldn't see a note or anything, anywhere. Then she noticed a light flashing and looked up. The TV scanner was displaying the words,

"Tending to my lovely old dear. Back soon."

Grace looked puzzled. He usually referred to the TARDIS as his "old girl". Was this a new pet name for her and he was just off repairing something elsewhere in the TARDIS, or was there another female of some sort he hadn't told her about till now. Either way, Grace's curiosity was definitely piqued. "Is he still inside?" She enquired. The TARDIS gave a rumble. Grace had no idea whether that meant "yes" or "no", so she just decided to check in the TARDIS first. She went back through the inner door.

She wondered if the "old dear" referred to some sort of animal, so she checked the beach room, the butterfly room, the fairy meadow and the grove and garden rooms. Nothing. Then she remembered that she'd seen a forest at one point and took off for that room. Nothing. Thoroughly confused, she began to open doors at random. In amongst all the usual rooms, she discovered a room filled with fans of every description, a room stacked floor to ceiling with every chia plant ever invented, then a room with more clocks - and she quickly hurried out of that one as the noise was deafening. Pulling open the next door, she found a room that looked like an oriental carpet salesroom. Idly, she wondered if any of them actually flew. She was so busy contemplating the idea, she didn't realise that she'd found him. She'd absentmindedly opened the next door to find it was a garage. There in the middle of the room was the Doctor. He had his coat, cravat and waistcoat off and was wearing a black apron over his shirt and trousers. He looked like a "gentleman's gentleman", braces peeking out from the neckstrap of the apron. He hadn't noticed her arrival, so she decided to just watch him.

He was washing a car, an antique yellow Edwardian roadster. Grace had no idea he had such a car and wondered why he hadn't mentioned it before. She thought they suited each other perfectly. She listened to him humming as he washed. It sounded like an aria from some opera, possibly "Carmen", but she wasn't certain. He alternatively talked to the car as well, as he worked on her. Grace smiled. Typical male. It was quite clear that he was very fond of this car.

Grace was so absorbed in the scene that she didn't notice when he turned round and saw her in the doorway. "Ah, Grace! So you've found us! Excellent! Come and meet Bessie - a very old and dear friend! I thought it was high time she was back in service. So, do you fancy a picnic? Torquay is very nice this time of year. Or how about Terra Viridis? Very green there. Very pretty. I can tell you all about my car." He grinned at her like a true male with a prized possession. Normally, hearing a man talk cars was not her favourite thing to do, but this just might be an exception.

"Yeah, why not?" She grinned at him. "But first, you might want to wash that smudge of paint out of your curls."

"What? Oh, yes. That must have happened when I gave her a touch-up earlier." He shook his famous curls at her and grinned impishly. "So you don't think brilliant yellow is a good hair colour for me, then?"

Grace laughed. "No. I'm quite delighted with the chestnut, thank you very much!"

"Good. So am I." He smiled back. "Just give me a few minutes to clean up and for you to decide where you want to go and we can be off."

"I'll be in the console room and let's go to Terra Viridis. I've been to Torquay. Very nice, but I'd like to try somewhere different."

"Right then. Back in a tick."

*******

Half an hour later, they'd landed on Terra Viridis. They were off-loading the picnic basket when the Doctor stuck a hand to his forehead and exclaimed, "Blast! Forgot the cheese. Nevermind. We can get some here. How do you fancy Blue Terserus, Grace?"

FIN


End file.
